A widely-used safety belt retractor assembly comprises a reel which winds the belt by spring force to retract the belt when disconnected. A pendulum-actuated locking dog engages a ratchet wheel on the spool in the event of sudden acceleration of the vehicle in any direction. This provides lockup of the reel and secures the occupant in the vehicle so as to prevent or minimize injuries from second collision. This retractor assembly is typically mounted on the structural support column immediately behind the front door.
In the past, the safety belt retractor assembly has included its own U-shaped mounting frame for the spool and the locking mechanism. This U-shaped frame is typically made of a stamped metal piece and is provided with mounting means that engage the structural support member holding it in position. In most instances, a plastic cover is mounted over the entire retractor assembly for protection against dust and the like. One example of this prior art structure is shown in the Magyar U.S. Pat. No. 4,149,737, issued Apr. 17, 1979.
In vehicles being built today, it is of primary concern to reduce the weight of all components so as to improve the gasoline mileage of the vehicle. A savings of a few pounds of weight on several components of an automobile can provide significant dividends in increased mileage. Also generally, as weight is saved, such as by the elimination of unnecessary metal, the initial cost of the components can be reduced, thus providing significant benefit to the manufacturer and ultimately the consumer.
Thus, it is a object of the present invention to provide a safety belt retractor assembly that is integrated into the vehicle structure so as to provide a significant weight and cost saving.
It is another and related object of the present invention to provide a safety belt retractor assembly which utilizes integral raised flanges of a portion of the vehicle structure to directly receive the load caused by the restraining force of the belt during operation.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide the simplified safety belt retractor assembly which utilizes the cover for pre-locating the component parts for greater economy in the process of assembly and installation into the vehicle.